Lexical Diffusion In Sound Changes In The Dialects Of Immigrant Communities Of Linyi City

Hongqi,Dongfeng and Xiangyang immigrant villages were formed in the 1960 s as part of community relocation from Mengyin County of Shandong Province due to the building of Andi reservoir.Having identified the major differences between the immigrants' original dialects and their new surrounding dialects in syllable initials,finals and tones,this thesis provides a comprehensive description of the sound changes in the Hongqi,Dongfeng and Xiangyang dialects.Drawing on the theory of lexical diffusion,it then explores the pattern of spreading of sound changes from the perspectives of word frequency,competing changes and residues.As a tentative conclusion,it is posited that the sound changes in Hongqi,Dongfeng and Xiangyan over a span of about 50 years are the results of the competition of the dual influence from the new local dialect and Mandarin.Lexical diffusion of the various types of sound changes is not only related to word frequency,but is also sensitive to word classes.The word frequency effects are significant only within word classes.In Chapter one,the thesis talks about the original location and dialect characteristics of Hongqi,Dongfeng and Xiangyang immigrant villages,as well as the research questions and purposes of this dissertation.It summarizes the Neogrammarian claim and Lexical diffusion theory,and the research on Chinese immigrant dialects as well as the original and new surrounding dialects of the three immigrant villages.It also describes the methodology and innovation of the dissertation.From chapter two through four,the dissertation investigates various items in sound changes in syllable initials,finals and tones of the immigrants' dialects in Hongqi,Dongfeng and Xiangyang villages.It demonstrates and analyzes the sound changes among the generations of the immigrant villages over the last 50 years by contrasting the immigrants' current dialects with their original and new surrounding dialects.In chapter five,drawing on the theory of lexical diffusion,the dissertation explores the pattern of spreading of sound changes among the three immigrant villages from the perspectives of word frequency,competing changes and residues.It founds that the spreading pattern of sound changes of the three immigrant villages is similar.The sound changes in the three immigrant villages are the results of competition of the dual influences of their new surrounding dialects and Mandarin.The different cultural prestige and economic power represented by Mandarin and their new surrounding dialects have influenced the direction of sound changes in these three immigrant villages.The immigrants' language knowledge and attitude to Mandarin and their original and new local dialects also play a role on the directions and rate of their sound changes.Lexical diffusion of the various types of sound changes is not only related to word frequency,but is also sensitive to word classes.The word frequency effects are significant only within word classes.It concludes that the sound changes in the immigrant villages in Linyi City have been developing through lexical diffusion and the Neogrammarian claim cannot stand in these cases.Lexical diffusion can explain not only the internal development of languages,but also developments caused by language contact.In Chapter 6,the dissertation answers the research questions and summarizes the research on sound changes of the dialects of the three immigrants' villages in Linyi City.